Creating Health from the inside out
Diet and Wellness Culture is a Lie!
Those were the words written in all capital letters vandalizing a flyer for weight loss services that was attached to a telephone pole in my borough of Montreal this past summer. There was a big, angry X scratched over the body of the message, as well as a cautionary but encouraging bit of advice inserted above the contact number, Love yourself, don’t do this–in lower case, as if to say, trust me.
The flyer, itself in all caps, led with Tired of fighting your food cravings? in bold red letters. Followed by, Get Your Hunger Under Control in green. It continued in a mix of black and blue lettering, Fix your diet once & for all. Get your energy back & lose those extra pounds so you enjoy the best summer ever. Put the pandemic behind for good. Interested? Contact [...] PSSSTTTT … This summer is the best time to put your body on your priority list, join me in a challenge like no other.
I would suggest that both authors, the creator of the flyer and the would-be good Samaritan saving us from apparent despair, have a point.
On the one side, the lead-in about food cravings and getting hunger under control are profoundly important. It is true that many people struggled with overeating during–and continue now in the aftermath of–the pandemic, and it is indeed a worthy goal to make [the health of] one’s body a priority. By body, I mean more than waist circumference: the effects, good and bad, of metabolism are far reaching and directly influence brain function. In fact, the body brain connection is too often overlooked. And so, while it can seem superficial to focus on things like lean body mass, the benefits of doing so are many. A truly healthy body–not just a physically attractive one–makes for a healthy brain. Cognitive decline is not pretty for anyone.
On the opposite side, the quip about losing those extra pounds so that it can be an enjoyable summer, that is, the assumed focus of wellness culture on outward appearance and dieting, seems to be where the critic finds fault. We all know short term diets designed for quick outcomes and unrealistic expectations lead only to constant cycles of yo-yo dieting combined with feelings of guilt and shame. This can be directed inwardly as negative self-talk or outwardly as criticism of others for looking less-than-perfect in a bathing suit come July. For now, I would like to put aside the notion linking weight loss with attractiveness. That discussion is best saved for an article devoted to the topic of positive body image. Suffice it to say, there is no space for body shaming in our world. Doing so only creates more problems, emotional and physical.
There is another way!
What if we focused instead, not on our bodies exactly, but on creating health within ourselves? True health. That is, that spring in the step kind of health! Sexy stuff like giving our mitochondria, the power source of our cells, all that they need to keep us thriving. And in so doing, we free ourselves of chronic disease and stay that way for as long as possible, also referred to as an increased healthspan. To do this, we focus on adding in all the stuff we need: food that tastes great, yes, but that fuels our mitochondria; restorative sleep every night; physical activity to keep our bodies fit; ways to de-stress; solid relationships and emotional connection; satisfying work; and so on. And, if we are going to add in all the good things, we will need to avoid the not-so-good things, like relying on alcohol to relax and caffeine to get going in the morning, sugary snacks to get through the afternoon, more alcohol and/or sweets to forget the stress of the workday, and screen time before bed, in bed, and in the middle of the night. With all the good stuff put into place, in time, the vices become unnecessary. They will just fade away, as will the pounds! Weight loss here is not the goal but a side effect of creating health in the system. The true benefit is feeling better both physically and emotionally and having energy to spare!
But wait a minute, you say, I like my coffee in the morning! That is totally fine! I do, too. But what I am talking about here is that feeling of waking in the morning feeling so tired and groggy that you need that coffee, or else!! That, if any person cometh between me and my f***ing cup of coffee, thou shalt expect to die, feeling! Right? Chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee on the terrace overlooking Central Park is altogether different than coffee with two creams and two sugars as a life-or-death situation! Your energy potential runs deeper than a cup of caffeine.
Once you find your inner groove, your friends and family will notice and so will your doctor! Not only will you no longer dread that moment before the nurse asks you to step on the scale, but your numbers from your blood work will improve. And, instead of talking about hormone replacement, or about prescribing or increasing the dosage of blood pressure meds or others like statins, metformin, anti-depressants, sleeping pills or pain relievers, your doctor will tell you, whatever you’ve been doing, keep doing it because your health has improved remarkably! And, just like your friends and family, the doctor and nurses might even start asking you for advice!
So how do you start?
You could go it alone. Ideally, though, this is where health coaching comes in, and more specifically, functional medicine coaching. In her July 2021 New York Times article titled, We Could All Use a Health Coach, longtime personal health columnist Jane Brody made the case that health coaches should be “accessible to more people,” especially for the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases. I would add that functional medicine coaches, who are focused on addressing the root causes of disease, from Type 2 Diabetes to dementia, IBS to autoimmune conditions, are best equipped to help a broad range of clients. Many forward-thinking practices like the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic have started including coaching at their Center for Functional Medicine. Coaches offer personalized attention to patients by helping sort out the ins and outs of a care plan that might include changes in diet, exercise, and stress management while doctors focus on initial appointments and periodic check-ups.
You might be thinking, wait a minute! How did we get to the topic of chronic disease when we were just talking about losing some weight for summer?!! This is too overwhelming! Well, small adjustments now can mean big gains down the road. That is, changes in your day-to-day habits offer immediate benefits in how you feel, but also go a long way to reducing the instance of chronic diseases later, meaning a higher quality of life as you age. This is not meant to be overwhelming. In fact, a good coach will follow your lead. You might not know where to begin, but a coach will help you identify the best place to start and will be there step by step.
As summer draws to a close, let’s prepare, not just for next summer, but for the rest of our lives.
Who might benefit from a coach? Three examples:
Sandy feels blah and just turned 47. At her annual physical last week, the doctor said all her blood tests, weight and so on were in the normal range for age and sent her away with an appointment slip for next time. When she mentioned that she does not sleep as well as she used to, she tends to stress eat, her sex drive is lower than it used to be, and that she feels bloated some days, the doctor mentioned that if things continued to worsen, they could discuss various medications–a low dose anti-depressant, some sleeping pills and antacids–that might help. They would also talk about whether hormone replacement might be helpful in the future. In the meantime, she should try to de-stress and get a hobby.
Ramish is 41 and is training for his second marathon. He talked about it with his doctor and got the OK with the caveat that he should prepare by joining a running group and to remember to stay hydrated. Last time went fine. Due to a busy work schedule, he had not really trained as much as he had wanted to. During the race, he walked off and on but was happy with himself for finishing. As a bonus, he had lost fifteen pounds in the months leading up to the event. This time around he wants to improve his time and is thinking about making changes to his nutrition during training and his eating strategy the day or two before. He has some ideas but wants some help figuring it out.
Mayra is 53 and was just diagnosed with prediabetes. Her doctor said that there was nothing to do until she reached full blown Type 2. At that point, she would be prescribed either metformin or insulin depending on the severity of her condition. Mayra’s husband, who is 58, started with metformin when he turned 51 but has needed insulin for the last five years. They are concerned because of the rising cost of insulin where they live.
Have a health goal? Contact me to start feeling better today!
What is your story? Leave a comment below!